There are many situations wherein an object such as a bicycle, small water craft, support platform, and the like, needs to be stored in a building in an elevated position, e.g., near the ceiling of a room, which is normally empty, and such elevated storage allows room beneath for the accommodation of additional items, such as in a garage or in a retail outlet. As one example, bicycles in large retail outlets are stored in horizontal layers to allow for storage of a large number of bicycles to be stored in a compact space. The uppermost layer is typically attached to fixed hooks which depend from or near the ceiling, or in a raised position which may be ten feet high or greater. Various types of lifting, lowering and securement devices have been described in the prior art, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 557,567; 569,289; 3,828,936; 3,872,972; 3,924,751; 4,116,341; 5,125,517; 5,292,009; 5,553,715; 5,702,007; 5,887,461; 6,045,021; 6,484,888; and others.
There is a significant need to provide a device that can raise and lower bicycles, small water craft, storage platforms, and the like, in which the object can be raised and locked in an upright position, and then lowered to the ground in a safe and reliable manner.